Baling-press.



L. TRABUE, DECD.

P. TRABUE. ADMINISTRATOR.

-BALING PRESS.

APPLICATION men FEB. 14. ms. 7 Patentedseptu 1916' 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. TRABUE, DECD.

P. TRABUE. ADMINISTRATOR.

BALING PRESS.

. AYPPLICATION FILED FEB.14, 191s. Patentedsept. 26,1916- 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Illlllllllllllllllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER TRABUE, OF GIRARD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR OF ONE-HALF TO BELLEVILLE BALER 00., OF BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS; PAUL TRABUE ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID LUTHER TRABUE, DECEASED.

BALING-PRESS.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed February 14, 1916. Serial No. 78,212.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER TRABUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Girard, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Baling-Presses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to baling presses, and has for its main object to provide a baling press in which the plunger-operating mechanism is so designed that less power is required to operate the press than a press of corresponding size of the design now in general use.

Another object is to provide a baling pres in which the plunger or compressing member operates at a comparatively fast speed during the first portion of its stroke while the material being pressed is comparatively loose and operates at a slow speed during the latter portion of its stroke, when great pressure is required to compress the material that is partially compressed during the first part of the stroke of the plunger.

Another object is to "provide an inexpensive, light-weight baling press that is shorter and more compact than the baling presses now in general use. Another object is to provide a baling press in which the mechanism that operates the heater or feeding device is of novel construction and is actuated directly by a part carried by a rotating element of the plunger-operatingmechanism, the beater being so constructed that it will give oryield with relation to its operating mechanism, and thus prevent breakage or damage to the press in case the heater becomes overloaded or .encounters a rigid obstruction during the operation of forcing the material into the baling chamber. And still another object is to provide a baling press in which the block dropping mechanism is of the general design illustrated in my prior Patent No.

1,013,628, dated January 2, 1912, but is of slightly different construction that reduces the cost of manufacturing the press and eliminates the possibility of damage or injury to the block-dropping mechanism in case the tripping dogs on the block holder are rendered'operative at an improper time in the. cycle of operati n o the pre s,

Other objects and desirable features of my invention Wlll be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a baling press Referring to the drawings, which .illustrate'the preferred form of my invention, A designates the plunger or compressing member of the press which reciprocates longie tudinally of the baling chamber B so as to compress the material that is forced into the baling chamber by the beater or feeding device C. The plunger operating mechanism is of novel construction and comprises a power-operated rotatable driving means, a toggle joint and a device for transmitting movement from said driving means to said toggle joint, one member of the toggle joint being connected to the plunger A and the other member of said toggle joint being connected to a part'of the press in such a manner that it rocks on same as a fulcrum dur ing the first portion of the forward stroke of the plunger, and thereafter shifts bodily with relation to said fulcrum during the latter part of the forward stroke of the plunger. In the embodiment of my invention herein illustrated said vdriving means consists of two large gear wheels D ar ranged vertically and in parallel relation to each other, as shown in Fig. 3, a drive shaft E provided with two pinions F that mesh with said gear wheels and a suitable operat- 1ng means for said drive shaft E, such, for example, as a sprocket chain G that passes over the sprocket wheel H on the drive shaft E. The drive shaft E is journaled in bearings 1 that are mounted on the side members 2 of the frame of the press which form a guide'way for the plunger A, and the gear wheels Dare mounted on short stub shafts 3 that project inwardly from vertically-disposed braces 4; that are 0. 11

nected to the side members 2 of the frame, said gear wheels D being connected together by means of a cross pin.5 that is carried by webs 6 on the gears D.

The toggle joint previously mentioned consists of two members 7 and 8 pivotally connected together at 9 and arranged between the plungerA and the rotatable driving elements D. The member 8 of said toggle joint is pivotally connected at 10 to the plunger A, and the free end of the member 7 is joined to a stationary part of the frame of the press by a slot and pin connection which permits said member 7 to move bodily with relation to its fulcrum point, as here inafter described. The member 7 is substantially yoke-shaped, or, in other words,

I comprises two side pieces whose upper ends gears D together.

are joined together by the pin 9 that connects the members 7 and 8 together. Each of saidside pieces 7 is provided at its lower end with an elongated slot 7 a and said slots receive flanged rollers 11 that are rotatably mounted on stub shafts 11 that project inwardly from the bottom side members 2 of the frame of the press, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The device that connects said toggle joint to the rotatable driving elements D of the press preferably consists of a pair of parallel links 12 which are joined at one end to the cross pin 5 that connects the driving The opposite ends of the links 12 are pivotally connected to the toggle members 7 intermediate the ends of said members by means of a horizontally-disposed cross pin 13 whose outer end portions project into guidinggrooves 14 in members 14: that are connected to the bottom side pieces 2 of the frame of the press. Each of said guide-ways has a curved portion that merges into a straight, horizontally-disposed portion, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which curved portions are concentric with the flanged rollers 11 that act as a fulcrum or bearing point for the members 7 of the toggle joint. When the plunger A is in its retracted position or at the end of its return stroke, as shown in ,Fig. 1, the toggle members and the links 12 will occupy the position shown in Fig. 1. When the drive Wheels D start to revolve the toggle member 7 rocks on the flanged rollers 11 while the cross pin 13 is traveling through the curved portions of the guide-ways 14:, thereby causing the plunger A to travel at comparatively fast speed during the first portion of its forward stroke while it is partially compressing the material in the baling chamber B. As soon as the cross pin 13 enters the straight, horizontally-disposed portions of the guideways 14" the toggle members 7 will move bodily with relation to the flanged rollers 11 without rocking much, thereby causing the speed of the plunger A. to be diminished during the latter portion of its StrokeWhen great power is required to compress the ma- 7 the toggle member 7 acts as a lever to transmit movement from the links 12 to the toggle member 8, said toggle member 7 being prevented from shifting or moving bodily with relation to its fulcrum at this time by means of the cross pin 13 and the curved portions of the guide-ways 1 1 During the latter portion of the forward stroke of the plunger the toggle member 7 rocks only slightly, and consequently, said togglememher 7 will move with the links 12, and thus transmit a direct thrust from said links to the toggle member 8. By constructing the plunger-operating mechanism in this manner I am able to connect the links 12 to the drive wheels D comparatively close to the axis of rotation of said wheels, thus reducing the weight and size of the drive wheels and permitting the press to be operated by anongine of comparatively small horse power. In fact, I have found that a four-horse power engine is sufficient to operate a press of the construction above described and provided with a plunger having a thirty-inch stroke, the shiftable toggle joint making it possible to impart a thirty-inch stroke to the plunger if the links 12 are connected to the drive wheels D at approximately seven inches from the axis of rotation of said wheels. Furthermore, such a plunger-oper ating mechanism imparts great power to the plunger during the latter portion of its stroke when great pressure is required to pack or compress the material firmly.

The beater C is of novel construction and is provided with an actuating mechanism that is operated by means of the cross pin 5 that connects the drive wheels D together. Said heater 0 is pivotally connected to a lever 15 that is mounted on a shaft 16 carried by uprights or vertically-disposed standards 17 on the stationary'frame of the press, and said lever 15 is provided at its rear end with a movable extension 15 that is joined by means of links 15 to a rock arm J arranged between the drive wheels D and provided with. a cam groove, preferably a curved slot j that receives a roller 18 on the cross pin 5, the lower end of said rock arm J being pivotally connected at 19 to depending brackets 20 on the stationary frame of the press. the lever 15 is joined to same in such a manner that said extension 15 can move relatively to said lever 15, and" thus prevent damage or breakage tothe press in case the beater 0 becomes overloaded or encounters a rigid obstruction when it is forcing the The extension 15 on material into the baling chamber of the,

but I prefer to connect the extension 15 to the lever 15 by means of a pivot 21 and provide the rear end portion of the lever 15 with a bifurcated portion that embraces the extension 15 and which is frictionally clamped to same by a bolt or other suitable clamping device 22, as indicated in Fig. 1. The lever 15 and extension 15 will move together under normal conditions, but if the beater G encounters a rigid obstruction when it is forcing the material down into the baling chamber, said lever 15 will come to restwhile the extension 15 and the parts that actuate same will continue in operation. A link 23 that is pivotally connected to the upper end of the beater C and to the uprights 17 holds the beater Gin a substantially vertical or upright position, as shown in Fig. 2, when it is forcing the material into the baling chamber. Various other means could be employed for permitting the beater to come to rest while its operating mechanism continues in operation, so as to prevent injury to thepress, and therefore, I do not wish it to be understood that my invention is limited to a press of the particular construction herein shown, wherein the beater is carried by a lever provided with an extension that is normally clamped to same by frictional pressure. When the driving wheels D are in operation the rock arm J will oscillate back and forth and thus raise and lower the beater C in an obvious manner.

The press is provided with a block-dropping mechanism of the same general type as the block-dropping mechanism described in my prior United States patent previously referred to. The block holder K is of substantially inverted channel shape, so that a division block 00 can be slipped into same endwise from either side of the press, and said block holder is provided with base portions 24 that are slidingly mounted in horizontally-disposed guide-ways 25 carried by the side members 2 of the stationary frame of the press. A stationary, horizontallydisposed plate 26 acts as a support for the division block 00 when the block holder K is in its receiving position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the plunger A of the press is provided at its rear end with an upwardlyprojecting arm 27 that is adapted to engage a horizontally-disposed cross pin .28 carried by devices on the block holder and move the block holder forwardly during the forward stroke of the plunger A, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby causing the division block to drop downwardly onto the upper side of the plunger A. When the plunger A passes from underneath the division block 00 during the return stroke of said plunger, said division block will drop downwardly into the baling chamber, as shown in Fig. 1.

' The cross pin 28 is carried by a pair of dogs or levers 29 that are pivotally connected at on the block holder. The crank shaft 31 is provided at its opposite ends with operating handles or levers 34: that are provided with bent portions 34?, as shown in Fig. 5, that rest upon the guide-ways 25 when the dogs 29 are in their depressed position, and thus prevent said dogs from riding on or engaging the upper side of the plunger A.

After the division block has been inserted inthe holder K one or the other of the handies 34 is grasped by the operator and moved into the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby causing the dogs 29 to be depressed or arranged in such a position that the cross pin 28 thereon will be engaged by the projection 27 on the plunger A during the forward stroke of the plunger. To restore the block holder to its receiving position the operator moves the, handle 3% in the opposite direction, so as to cause the crank shaft 31 to pull the dogs 29 and the block holder K rearwardly and also elevate said dogs, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that the cross pin 28 thereon will not be engaged'by the projection 27 on the plunger, if the plunger is thereafter moved forwardly. V] hen the dogs 29 are in their depressed position they are free to swing upwardly. Consequently, if the block holder is restored to its receiving position and the dogs 29 thereafter depressed, while the plunger A is in its forward position, no damage will be done to the block-dropping mechanism, during the re turn stroke of the plunger, owing to the fact that the forwardly curved upper end portion of the plate 27 on the plunger A will ride under the cross pin 28 on said dogs and simply swing said dogs upwardly without imparting movement to the block holder. The block holder K is preferably provided at its ends with pivotally mounted latches 35 that act as stops that limit the movement of the division block when it is being introduced into the block holder and prevent said block from being arranged in an improper position.

While the block-dropping mechanism above described embodies all of the good features and characteristics of the block-dropping mechanism described in'my prior pat ent previously mentioned, it is less expensive to manufacture and is so designed that there is no possibility of its being damaged or rendered inoperative by, carelessness on the part of the operator, as previously described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A baling press provided with a plunger, an operating mechanism for said plunger comprising a toggle joint, one of whose members is connected to a supporting structure by a slot and pin connection, and means that holds the pin at one end of said slot during a portion of the stroke of the plunger and thereafter permits said toggle member to shift bodily during the remainder of the stroke of the plunger comprising a guideway having a straight portion that merges into a curved portion that is substantially concentric with said pin.

2. A baling press provided with a plunger, a rotatable driving element, a toggle joint, one of whose members is pivotally connected to said. plunger, an elongated closed slot in the other toggle member, a stationary device that projects into said slot and acts as a fulcrum for said member, a link eccentrically connected to said driving element and pivotally connected. to said slotted toggle member, and means for controlling the movement of said slotted toggle member comprising a guideway having a curved portion arranged concentric with relation to said stationary device.

3. A baling pressfprovided with a plungear, a rotatable driving element, a toggle oint, one of whose members is pivotally connected .to said plunger, a fulcrum device that projects into an elongated slot in the free end of the other toggle member, a connection between said slotted member and said driving element, and a device on said slotted member that projects into a guideway having a straight portion and a curved portion that is concentric with said fulcrum device.

4:. A baling press comprising a plunger, a rotatable driving element, a link pivotally connected to said driving element at some distance inwardly from the periphery of same, a link pivotally connected to said plunger, a member interposed between said links and pivotally connected to same, said member being joined to a stationary supporting structure by a slot and pin connection, a guideway having a curved portion arranged concentric with relation to the pin of said connection, and a device that travels with said member and projects into said guideway. i

5. A baling press provided with a plunger, a pair of gear wheels, means for driving said gear wheels, a cross pin that connects said gear wheels together, a pair of links connected to said cross pin, and a toggle joint interposed between said links and the lun' 'er one member of said to 'le bein C9 7 DD 3 composed of two parts, each of which is provided adjacent its free end with an 'elon gated slot, stationary devices provided with flanged rollers that are arranged in said,

6. A baling press provided with a PlllII".

ger, a pair of drive wheels arranged in parallel relation with each other and spaced apart, a connection between said drive wheels and. said plunger comprising a toggle joint, one of whose members is joined to the frame of the press bya slot and pin connection, a beater for forcing the material into the baling chamber of the press, an'opcrating mechanism for said beater comprising; a rock lever separate and distinct from said toggle member, said: rock lever being arranged between said drive wheels and having its lower and secured to a fixed pivot, and means for imparting movement from said drive wheels to said rock lever.

7; In a balin )ressa lun er a )air of.

drive wheels arranged in parallel relation with each other and spaced apart, a cross pin that connects said wheels together, a rock arm arranged between said wheels and having its lower end secured to. a fixed pivot, said rock arm being provided with a curved slot that receives said cross pin, a connection between said plunger and said drive wheels separate and distinct. from said rock arm and comprising parallel links that are joinedto said cross pin, a beater for forcing the material into the baling chamber of the press, and a connection between said heater and said rock arm.

8. In a baling press, a plunger, a pair of drive wheels arranged in parallel relation.

are joined to said cross pin, a heater for.

forcing the material into the baling chamber of the press, a leverthat carries said beater, an extension on the free end of said lever that is normally held in fixed relation with same by frictional pressure, and a link that joins the extension on said lever to the free end of said rock arm.

9. A baling press provided with a plun= ger, a shiftable block holder, a pair of pivotally mounted devices on said block holder provided with a cross pin, and a de= vice on said plunger that is adapted to engage said cross pin and movg said block holder into its discharge position.

10. A baling press provided with a plum ger, a shiftahle block holder, a pair of pivotally mounted devices on said blocks holder provided with a cross pin, a device on said plunger that is adapted to engage said cross pin and move said block holder into its discharge position, a crank shaft journaled in stationary hearings on the frame of the machine and having a portion that passes through elongated slots in said pivotally mounted devices, and an operating handle on said crank shaft. 1

11. A baling press provided with a reciprocating plunger, :1 shiftable blockholder, a pivotally mounted device on said block holder provided with a projection, a part on the plunger that is adapted to engage said projection and move the block holder into its discharge position, and means for raising and lowering said pivotally mounted device so as to shift said projection into and out of operative position, said means being so constructed that said pivotally mounted device isfree to swing upwardly in case'the projection on same is'engaged by the cooperating part on the plunger during the return stroke of the plunger.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my V signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 25th day of January, 1916.

LUTHER TRABUE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

